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Pennsylvania O Gauge Rugged Rails 6-8-6 Bantam Turbine Steam Engine
33-1007
List Price:
$149.95
Roadname:
Pennsylvania
Scale:
O Gauge
Product Type:
Steam Locomotive
Product Line:
Rugged Rails
Delivery Status:
Delivered DEC. 2002
Overview
By the mid-1940s, the diesel revolution was gaining a foothold in America's railroad power rosters. Realizing that diesel power was proving cost effective on other railroads, the Pennsylvania Railroad experimented with ways to make steam power more competitive with the diesel. One bold new design deriving from the PRR's efforts was the S-2 6-8-6 Steam Turbine, a hybrid between the normal reciprocating steamer and a diesel electric. While the S-2 still had a firebox and boiler and still generated steam, the pressure was run through a turbine instead of reciprocating cylinders to make power. The turbine design provided smooth and constant power to the drive wheels and proved to be much more efficient than traditional steam locomotives at higher speeds. Only one of these engines, cab #6200 was ever made.